Bag-rack for postal cars.



S. N. PECK.

BAG RACK FOR POSTAL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED 00131, 1912.

1,098,396, I Patented June 2,1914.

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BAG RACK FOR POSTAL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31, 1912.

1,098,396, Patented June 2, 1914.

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s. N. PEOK.

BAG RACK FOR POSTAL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31, 1912.

Patented June 2, 1914.

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SEWARD N. PECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BAG-RACK FOR POSTAL CARS.

object to provide an improved form of bag rack and supporting mechanism therefor.

Another object of my invention is to provide a supporting mechanism which will.

provide a firm and strong means of support for mail bag racks, and which will be capable of being swung out of the way when not in use.

In railway postal car construction, certain standard requirements set forth by the specifications of the railway mail superintendent must be adhered to. I have invented a device which will comply with the. requirements of railway postal car construction and at the same time permit of greater economy and compactness of arrangement, as well as providing a more practicable structure.

Other objects will be set forth and made apparent in the following specification and accompanying drawings, 'in which Figure 1 is a plan view of aportion of a railway postal car showing the apparatus in operative position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the bag rack-supporting mechanism thrown into inoperative position. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the single track members of my invention. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a cross section taken along the line 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the dog. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the double track member. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a transverse cross section taken along the line 11 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a transverse section taken along the line 12 of Fig. 9.

Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, in which- 20 designates generally the side wall of a postal car, and 21 the floor thereof. Projecting upwardly from the floor are the columns 22 serving as a support for the longitudinal, horizontal rack bars 23. The distributing table 24, provided with the upwardly ex- Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed October 31, 19 12;

Patented June 2, 1914.

Serial No. 728,875.

tending walls 25, is partially supported by the longitudinally extending bar 26, also supported by the columns 22. -The distributing table, when in operative position,

is further supported by the bar 27, to whichv it is detachably secured by brackets 28. The bridge racks 29, located on either side of the distributing table, are secured at one end to the bar 23 by suitable bracket members'30. The bridge racks are further detachably secured to the bar 27 by similar brackets 31. Bag-engaging hooks 32 are carried by the bridge racks, and a label holder 33 is also suitably secured to each side of the said bridge racks.

Located forwardly of the distributing table, when in what I term operative position, are the parallel rack bars 35, 36, and 37 two sets of which I have shown in Fig. 1. These extend longitudinally with respect to the car, and are provided with bag-engaging hooks 38 located at suitable intervals therealong. Label holders 39 are also located at suitable intervals of said rack bars. Each of the rack bars is secured at its outer extremityas viewed in Fig. 1to an arm v4O. These arms are provided at their outer extremities with a downwardly extending portion 41, adjacent the extremity of which is secured the supporting bar 27. The adjacent ends of corresponding rack bars 35,- 36, and 37 are similarly secured to the supporting arms 45 which are similar to the supporting arms 40. The same is true with respect to the adjacent ends of the pair of supporting bars 27. The supporting arms 40 have the depending lug portion 46 intermediate of their extremities provided with the aperture 47 extending therethrough. A lever arm 48 is pivotally secured to said supporting arm by the bolt or pin 49 extending through the aperture 47 therein. This lever arm is slightly curved at its other extremity, and is provided with the trunnioned extremity 50, as shown most clearly in Fig. 7.

A track member, designated generally by the numeral 51, is secured to the side 20 of the car adjacent the outer extremities of the rack bars 37, said track member being provided with bolting flanges 52 having bolting apertures therein, through which are passed bolts 53 or suitable fastening means. The track members 51 comprise, further, the side flanges 56 and 57 and the base flange comprising the portions 58 and 59, the latter portion being offset inwardly with respect to the portion 58. The said flange 57 is also of greater width than the side flange 56, as is apparent in F ig. 5 of the drawings. The top flange 59 projects partially over the space formed by the side flanges 56 and 57 and the base flange 58. This top flange is discontinued adjacent the upper portion of the track member 51, and curves slightly-as indicated at 60to correspond to the shoulder 61 formed by the juncture of the offset base flange portions 58 and 59 see Fig. 5. Projecting upwardly from this curved portion 60 is the slotted bearing lug 62, having the central aperture 63. The track member is provided at its upper portion with the apertured bearing 64: and the rib 65 projecting downwardly to the base flange 59 therefrom. The apertured bearing 64 serves as a bearing for the end of the rack bar 37. When in assembled relation, the trunnioned extremity 50 of the lever arm 48 may be inserted between the side flanges 56 and 57 of the track member 51 adjacent the upper open portion thereof. A dog 66, apertured at 67 and provided with an ear or lug 68, is adapted to be pivotally mounted between the portions of the bearing 62 and retained in pivotal position therein by a pin or rivet. When the lever arm is assembled with relation to the track member, as shown in Fig. 7, for example, the lever arm may be elevated to permit the trunnioned extremity to seat in the shoulder of the track member. To retain the extremity in this position, the dog 66 automatically falls to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so that the outer face 66 thereof will contact with the trunnioned extremity of the lever arm, thereby preventing its displacement. To release the dog the ear 68 may be utilized so that the lever arm 48 may be lifted and allowed to assume operative position. 7

Intermediate the pair of track members 51 is located the double track member, indicated generally by the numeral 71 and shown in Figs. 9 to 12. This double track member corresponds in many respects to the single track members 51 and furnishes a guiding means for the adjacent lever arms 15. This track member 71 is provided with bolting flanges 72, side flanges 73, and a center divided flange 75 of less height than the side flanges 73. The base flange, as in the single track member 51, comprises the outwardly converging portion 75 and the offset portion 7 6 extending upwardly from the portion 75, both portions being joined by a curved shoulder portion 77. The top flange 7 8 extends inwardly from each of the side flanges 71 and partially covers the space included between each of the side flanges 73, base portions 75 and 76, and center flange 74:. Each of these top flange portions is curved, as indicated by the numeral 79, to correspond to the offset between the base flange 75 and 76, and itis discontinued short of the top of the double track member. The slotted bearings 80 extend upwardly from each of the top flanges 78 adjacent their curved portion 7 9 and furnish a mounting for rotatable dogs, similar to the dogs 66 shown in Fig. 8. At the top of the double track member is provided a pair of apertured bearings 82, each of which furnishes a bearing support for the end of one of the supporting bars 37. The corresponding extremities of each pair of supporting arms 10 and 15 are secured to the ends of the rack bars 37 adjacent their mounting in the bearings 64: and 82.

As described above, the arms 10 are sup ported by the lever arms 18, and supporting arms 15 are supported by similar lever arms not shown in the drawings, these latter being slidably mounted in the respective portions of the double tracking member 71.

lVhen the device is in operative position, as indicated in Fig. 2, the distributing table 24v and bridge racks 29 are attached in operative position to the respective support ing bars 27 by suitable clamps 2S and 29, the distributing table and bridge racks being first attached to the supporting bars 26 and 23, respectively, and swung upwardly to attaching position about their attachment to the said supporting bars 26 and 23. The pairs of rack bars 35, 36, and 37 carried by and between the supporting arms 10 and 15 will also lie in approximately horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. As is usual in postal car construction, mail sacks may be supported in open position between the rack bars by the hooks.

When it is not desired to utilize the bag racks by the use of my invention, the same may be thrown out of operative position to leave the floor of the car practically unobstructed, the same being accomplished by first unhooking the clamps by which the distributing table and bridge racks are secured to the supporting bar 27, and then raising the arms lO and 45, together with their supporting lever arms, to the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the arms 40 and 45 will be approximately flat against the side wall of the car, and the trunnioned extremity 50 of each lever arm 18 will be seated in the shoulders, 61 and 77 of the respective tracking member, the dogs 66 and S1 automatically retaining said arms in such position, as indicated in Fig. 3, thus serving to prevent movement of the lever arms, and accordingly prevent movement of the supporting arms and the rack bars carried thereby. VVhen it is desired to utilize the bag rack supporting mechanism, it is merely necessary to throw the dogs 66 and 81 out of engaging position by means of the ears 68 formed thereon, when the lever arms may be moved outwardly from their seats in the shoulders and allowed to slide downwardly in the respective tracking members to the position shown in Fig. 10. One feature of my construction is that the mail bag may be left on the hooks when the bars and arms are lifted, in which position they will hang down therefrom against the wall of the car.

It will be apparent that while I have shown an apparatus only as applied to a certain portion of the car, the same may be duplicated or used in connection with other apparatus in varying positions with respect to the car.

By my invention I have provided, as explained above, a strong, compact, and practical form of bag rack mechanism which may readily be thrown into inoperative position, in which position the floor of the car may be kept readily unobstructed, and this mechanism may further be adjusted from inoperative to operative position with very little effort and time.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness and as being embodied in certain precise forms, yet it will be understood that I do not desire to limit myself thereto unduly, or any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction, and arrangement, the omission of immaterial parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a rack pivotally mounted at one side to a car wall and movable upwardly adjacent said wall to in operative position, track ways mounted on said wall, supporting levers extending between said track ways and said rack and having extremities slidably mounted in said tracks, said track ways being provided with shoulders to support said levers and thereby said rack when the latter is either in operative or inoperative position, and dogs adapted to engage and lock said levers to said track ways when said rack is in inoperative position.

2. In a device of the class described, a track member comprising side flanges, and a base flange between said side flanges, said base flange being inclined with respect to the base of said side flanges and being also offset intermediate its extremities. I

3. In a device of the class described, a track member comprising a side flange, bolting flanges carried by said side flange, and a base flange carried by said side flange, said base flange being inclined with respect to the base of the side flange.

4. In a device of the class described, a track member comprising a pair of side flanges, a base flange carried therebetween, a dividing flange projecting upwardly from said base flange between said side flanges, and top flanges extending inwardly from said side flanges and partially over said base flange, said dividing flange terminating short of the plane of the top flanges.

5. In a device of the class described, a track member comprising side flanges, and a base flange formed integral with the side flanges and carried therebetween, said base flange being inclined with respect to the base of the side flanges and oflset intermediate its extremities and said oflset portions being connected by a curved shoulder portion.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

SEWARD N. PEOK.

Witnesses HENRY A. PARKS, E. M. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

